Our April Saturday trip to our sponsored riverside plot at Buccleuch Gardens, led by Susannah. This time the area was really showing the joys of spring with everything in abundance, including a variety of weeds! Lots to do for our group of happy chatty GoodGymmers for the long Easter bank holiday weekend, including first timers Rory and Jenna, welcome!

Leaves were removed from the lawn, beds were weeded, saplings pulled and the beautiful tulips were given space to breathe, an excellent impact all before midday on a Saturday! 🐣🐰

Today’s task had us swapping trainers for binoculars as we took part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. Our mission was simple: keep our eyes peeled, count the birds we spotted, and submit our findings to help track the UK’s bird population.

A few of us met in Marble Hill Park and we perched ourselves in prime viewing spots and soon we spotted a variety of familiar faces – from black crows, parakeets, robins and seagulls – all going about their daily beak-ness.

The task was a nice change of pace: calm, mindful, and a great reminder to slow down and appreciate nature. All observations were logged and submitted to the RSPB, helping them build a clearer picture of how our garden birds are doing. Overall, a very tweet task, well worth flocking to.

We are officially over half way through January, and that means officially half way through the GoodGym January Challenge.

Adam, JP, Lucy, Maena, and Monika were in Twickenham to quite literally rack up the good deeds on Saturday morning. We met with lovely Sarah from INS who had a few tasks to keep us busy. Between us, and some help from Sarah and her husband, we helped to erect a large metal chair hanging rang. Luckily we had the agility, balance, strength and coordination (plus enough pairs of hands) to make easy work of the construction. Adam was left on screw tightening duty whilst the rest of us got on with next job, which was some woodwork painting.

Over the past few months, GoodGym Richmond have made several visits to INS to help repaint various rooms, hallways, toilet radiators and everything inbetween. Just before Christmas we helped to put a fresh coat on the walls lining the stairway (who doesn’t love a new coat for the winter?!), so our plan was continue on from that, by giving the woodwork around the stairway a fresh lick. Not all heroes wear capes, some in fact have masking tape; as Maena and JP helped prep the surfaces and tape up around the edges. The rest of us got the brushes out and got to work on the edges and skirting boards, the stair rails and panelling. A very therapeutic task later, and we had completed all the bits we needed to, and JP had taped up ready for Monday, when we return to INS to continue our painting party.

There paint nobody who loves us better than a task owner who knows we get the job done, and with that we left the paint to dry until we head back on Monday evening for more good deeds and good fun!

On a cold and fresh day on the Ham Lands, the GoodGym team joined Sharon and the rest of the Friends of Ham Lands to tackle an overgrown patch of brambles. John, Pippa, Monika, Kate, Chris, Adam, Suze, Rosie, Alex and JP were armed with loppers, gloves and plenty of enthusiasm as we chopped back and uprooted the brambles to reduce competition and open up space for violets and snowdrops to thrive.

The task involved cutting through dense, thorny growth and digging out roots to help prevent regrowth. Working steadily as a team, we cleared the area and left it ready for spring flowers to emerge. By the end of the session, the site looked noticeably more open and light-filled, giving native plants a much better chance to establish and spread.

We finished up with a well-earned cup of tea with the Friends of Ham Lands group, before making our way to the Swiss Bakery for drinks and snacks — a perfect end to a thorny but rewarding mission.

Next time will be on Valentines Day - sign up here: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/helping-the-happy-ham-landers-8ee7fa0c-756b-4d38-9748-7b6b725f7d2e

What a happy afternoon running around East Twickenham and St Margaret's to solve the clues and track down amazing treasure hunt creators Susannah, Beth and Monika!

Congratulations to winning team Anita, Adam and John who even put in a sprint finish, despite the lack of anyone else even being near the finish line! And a special mention to Rowan who joined in for the first time at GoodGym, right in at the deep end!

Thank you so much Monika, Suze and Beth, what a wonderful way to wrap up a summer of doing good in Richmond ❤️